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Togruta
The Togrutas were a humanoid species from the planet Shili. The race exhibited head-tails which were similar to those of Twi'leks, perhaps suggesting a common ancestry. Togrutas were also distinguished by montrals, large hollow horn-like projections from the top of their heads, that gave the species a form of passive echolocation. In order to protect themselves from dangerous predators, and to hunt their own prey, Togrutas banded together in dense tribes and relied on their natural pigmentation to disrupt and confuse the slow-witted beasts. Togrutas worked well in large groups, and individualism was seen as abnormal within their culture, although it was also a necessary quality in leaders. Biology and appearance Togrutas had rusty skin tones ranging in hue from orange to red, with white pigmentation on their faces, and greyish lips. White stripes also adorned various parts of their bodies, including their chests, legs, backs, arms, lekku (head-tails), and montrals. The pattern of stripes varied from individual to individual. This red and white pattern was a phenotype left over from their ancestor's camouflage that helped them to blend in with their natural surroundings, especially the red-and-white turu-grass which dominated Shili's scrublands. Their heads bore two montrals, and three (rarely four) head-tails, whose stripes were darker than those of the montrals. Togruta had the ability to sense the proximity and movement of physical objects around them by means of their hollow montrals, which detected space ultrasonically. Young Togrutas' montrals and posterior head-tail did not fully grow until adolescence, when their montrals become curved and their third head-tail grew to the length of their two main head-tails. As predators, Togrutas had sharp incisors, which they used to painlessly kill thimiars, their primary prey, causing the creatures postmortem death spasms. This gave outsiders the false impression that Togrutas were venomous. However, Togrutas did nothing to dispel this misconception and even took advantage of the intimidating presence it gave them. Culture Togrutas had a strong sense of unity and togetherness. On their native homeworld of Shili, they relied on each other and would band together to take a stand against the massive monsters that hunted them, such as the akul. It is said that the creatures of Shili most often attacked in groups, which was even more reason for the native Togrutas to work together. While most of Shili was covered in the scrublands where the Togrutas hunted their herbivorous prey, the Togrutas lived in small communities in the forest valleys, where the canopies kept them out of sight. Togrutas were known for their habit of not wearing shoes; they believed that the land was spiritually connected to them, and wearing shoes cut themselves from a bond with the land. In the pack, every able Togruta was expected to contribute his or her own share, as any food attained was distributed equally. Togrutas were also known for their belief that those who could not keep up should be left to fend for themselves, because that is nature's way. Other sentient species found this particular belief quite inhumane. Those within a pack who led had a difficult time with fulfilling their goals because of the risk of becoming individualistic. As hunters, the Togrutas showed off the pelts and teeth of their game as a sign of pride and maturation. Ironically, special pride was taken in the teeth of akul that a Togruta had taken down as an individual. These teeth often were made into jewelry such as an akul-tooth headdress or a necklace, which also incorporated metals, stones, and pearls found on Shili. Other Togrutas, such as Ahsoka Tano, wore the Togruta sash with their Jedi apparel. Togrutas spoke the Togruti language, which had a few elements of Basic. Personality Togrutas were tranquil and silent, though when the situation called for it they were true warriors. Their fidelity to their beliefs was legendary, as was their happiness within large groups. Togrutas, not surprisingly, excelled at teamwork and the ability to associate with different cultures. To an extent, Togrutas had an aversion to isolation and made efforts to have friends around for companionship. Special Abilities Camouflage: Togruta characters possess colorful skin patterns which help them blend in with natural surroundings (much like the stripes of a tiger). This provides them with a +2 pip bonus to hide skill checks. Spatial Awareness: Using a form of passive echolocation, Togruta can sense their surroundings. If unable to see, a Togruta character can attempt a Moderate search skill check. Success allows the Togruta to perceive incoming attacks and react accordingly by making defensive rolls. Story Factors Believed to be Venomous: Although they are not poisonous, it is a common misconception by other species that Togruta are venomous. Group Oriented: Togruta work well in large groups, and individualism is seen as abnormal within their culture. When working as part of a team to accomplish a goal, Togruta characters are twice as effective as normal characters (ie, they contribute a +2 pip bonus instead of a +1 pip bonus when aiding in a combined action; see the rules for Combined Actions here). Category:Races